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While the Xbox certainly doesn't have a shortage of action games, what it does have is a shortage of good, non-first person action games. Seeking to fill the apparent void, Sega of America licensed Japanese developer/publisher From Software's Otogi for release in the States. Otogi isn't the second coming or anything, but it's a solid and worthwhile hack-'n-slash romp featuring some of the best production values in gaming today.

The great seal that separated the human world from the demon world has been broken, and it's up to you to restore the power of the four Ki essences so that the seal can be reestablished. You'll play as Raikoh (no, not the Pokmon!), a samurai brought back from the dead to purify (read: slaughter wholesale) the demon hordes affecting this pseudo-ancient quasi-Japan. Raikoh wasn't a nice person when he was alive, and thus, this is his chance to atone for those sins and purify himself. Otogi: Myth of Demons is loosely based on Japanese mythology, heavily focused on the themes of redemption and atonement. Okay, not really -- while those themes are present, the story is a little pretentious and long-winded for a game that isn't much more than a demon killfest. Fortunately, it's skippable if you're not interested, and both the English and Japanese voices are pretty good if you are.

Otogi has a lot in common with Sega's Shinobi on the PS2, only this time it's not stupidly difficult. Like Shinobi, Otogi is a purely an action game, and Raikoh's abilities underscore that. Equipped with two different sword swings, a variety of magic attacks, and a dash and double-jump move, Raikoh can bust skulls and zip around the world in style. The standard sword slash is imminently combo-able, while the second is a powerful attack to swat enemies away from you or knock holes in the environment. Magic spells provide the game's only projectile attacks, and can be charged up to unleash even more damage on your foes. Using these you'll eviscerate a lot of demons under a variety of mission-based pretenses with a variable time pressure akin to that of Shinobi's "cursed sword" mechanic.

As you play, your magic will gradually decrease, and when it's fully depleted, you'll no longer be able to use magic or dash until you get some more. While this time pressure is part of what made Shinobi so punishing, the drain is much more manageable in Otogi, and keeping your magic supply stable just means that you need to kill things -- you won't even need any special technique or finesse to do it right, either. Don't assume that Otogi is easy, because it's not -- the game is challenging, but manageably and entertainingly so, thanks to good balance and the experience system.

Yes, the experience system. Since every game these days has to have RPG elements, apparently, it shouldn't come as any surprise that Otogi has them, should it? They're pretty tacked-on in this case, and only show up in between levels so as not to distract too much from the game's action, which is a good thing. In between levels, you can also use gold you'd invisibly acquired to buy better weapons, spells, and accessories. Combined with the experience points you've earned, you'll be able to revisit old levels to find secrets, beat your best time, or just level up to get an edge for upcoming battles.